China accused of ignoring hockey player's human rights as isolation complaints grow

BEIJING :The coach of the Finland men's ice hockey team accused China of not respecting a player's human rights on Sunday as complaints about COVID-19 isolation protocols piled up at the Winter Games.

Finland head coach Jukka Jalonen said https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/ice-hockey-china-ignoring-finnish-players-human-rights-says-coach-2022-02-06 Marko Anttila, a ninth round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2004 NHL draft, was "not getting good food" and under tremendous mental stress.

"We know that he's fully healthy and ready to go and that's why we think that China, for some reason, they won't respect his human rights and that's not a great situation," Jalonen said on a Zoom call with media.

Anttila was no longer infectious but continued to be kept in COVID-19 isolation after testing positive 18 days ago, according to the team doctor.

More than 350 Games participants, including dozens of athletes, have tested positive on arrival in the Chinese capital since Jan. 23. They can only leave special quarantine hotels once they are free of symptoms and test negative in two PCR tests 24 hours apart.

Several Games participants have complained about the isolation conditions, as well as the confusing procedures around being allowed to leave. Organisers said on Sunday that they were trying to https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/germany-see-improved-isolation-conditions-others-still-struggle-2022-02-06 address complaints.

"We are in a process of addressing these problems," said Zhao Weidong, Beijing Games spokesperson, adding that they would now allow an athlete to order in food from the village.

On Saturday, Germany's team chief Dirk Schimmelpfennig called conditions